BajaNomad - Is there a bus stop at the BOLA junction?

Is there a bus stop at the BOLA junction?

wilderone - 4-26-2012 at 05:48 PM

Just considering for future travel plans.
(One of those ABC bus benches).

shari - 4-26-2012 at 05:51 PM

the bus stops at the Parador or Pta.Prieta and you can wait there or hitch a ride from there into BOLA.

24baja - 4-26-2012 at 06:02 PM

There is a bus that goes north at 0600, you should be at the junction at about 0500. The cost is about $80, this is according to a friend who lives in BOLA and uses the bus from time to time.

Maderita - 4-26-2012 at 09:08 PM

Unless things have changed from 30 years ago, you must wave and hail the bus driver. Otherwise, they just keep on driving by. I spent a frustrating few hours at a bus stop on Highway 1, while buses would slow down a bit, only to speed on past. Muttering profanity didn't help. Desperation finally made me get up and dance and wave. That did the trick.

Have things changed? Can anyone shed more light on the "proper procedure" to hail a bus?

shari - 4-26-2012 at 09:42 PM

you could try to call the Guerrero Negro bus terminal and reserve a seat and ask them to tell the driver to stop for you there...but flagging down is the most reliable way to stop a bus...there are several busses a day... a couple pass by in the morning and the evenings.

615-157-2279

[Edited on 4-27-2012 by shari]

David K - 4-27-2012 at 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 24baja
There is a bus that goes north at 0600, you should be at the junction at about 0500. The cost is about $80, this is according to a friend who lives in BOLA and uses the bus from time to time.

Since $ is used for both dollars and pesos, which is it 24baja?

sancho - 4-27-2012 at 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Since $ is used for both dollars and pesos, which is it 24baja?

I ASSUME the $80 number refers to bussing to TJ from
the BofLA Junc, in that case the $80 definately means dollars, it is close to $140,
maybe more, TJ/La Paz. I first rode the bus to La Paz
in '83 or so, it was $14 TJ/La Paz

David K - 4-27-2012 at 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sancho

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Since $ is used for both dollars and pesos, which is it 24baja?

Agree with you, but just in case... I mean US$80 seems like a lot for a local to ride a bus full of people for just 350 miles? MN$80 is a better deal! Gasoline for this trip (if the vehicle got only 15 mpg) would cost US$70... so it would be cheaper for them to drive the 350 miles... even better if they got more than 15 mpg.

rts551 - 4-27-2012 at 03:53 PM

and 80 pesos would be an even better deal....even if make no cents

24baja - 4-27-2012 at 05:14 PM

We were told 80 dollars.

David K - 4-27-2012 at 05:32 PM

Thanks 24! All the 'good deals' are gone, I guess!

wilderone - 4-28-2012 at 07:40 AM

"you could try to call the Guerrero Negro bus terminal and reserve a seat and ask them to tell the driver to stop for you there..."
Great idea - I should be able to get a better idea of when the buses would be passing by too. Sounds promsing!
Thanks all.

David K - 4-28-2012 at 10:24 AM

Have fun Cindi... and a trip by a Baja Bus would make a good post here, too!

Alm - 4-28-2012 at 07:03 PM

Yes and no. There is an informal bus stop at the junction (aka Crucero). There is no ABC bench, just a post (and a tiny coffee shop). Cashiers don't have this stop in the system so the ticket should be booked to/from Punta Prieta, if you have to book.

Going in is a trifle, just ask the driver to stop at Crucero para Bahia de Los Angeles. Good men with gasoline business will give you a lift to BOLA - in daytime they are always at Crucero selling gas from a barrel. Once again - the bus WILL drop you off if you ask.

Going out - never tried. I believe buses won't stop at Crucero if there are no seats and you have too many bags. They also don't like stopping in the night or in the dusk or early in the morning - that is, they will drop you off when you're on the bus, but you might not be able to flag them down.

Yes, there is a bus going north at 6 am, and another one going north at 10 am. And then some more, don't remember now. Total 5 or 6 buses in 24 hours.

I doubt that riding a "bus full of people" on Mex 1 is any more expensive than driving that long, if you factor in the car wear, and your health. Quite often the bus is less than half full, IIRC. Neither I think it makes a "great post" (sorry, David) - mostly it's eventless 10 hours (from Tijuana), relatively comfortable and rather boring ride. More leg room than in Greyhound buses, AC, movies in Spanish, toilet ... let's just say toilet works. They make pit stops and lunch stops every few hours. The only thing that peeed me off was when guys with rifles woke me up and checked everybody's luggage. I don't mind check-ups, but waking me up wasn't a good idea... You know, those military checkpoints...

[Edited on 4-29-2012 by Alm]

David K - 4-28-2012 at 08:37 PM

Well Alm, I appreciate your post here, as it is more info. on bus riding Hwy. 1 than I think I can recall ever reading on Nomad... so thank you!

Alm - 4-28-2012 at 09:40 PM

Yeah, $US 80 is expensive for local folks - they are probably better off catching a ride with somebody in an old pickup. Most passengers on ABC buses are locals, though usually well groomed, so either this is a local "top crust" or the trip for them is an important event and a big-ticket item, like a plane fight for us.

Bus riding in Mexico

thebajarunner - 4-29-2012 at 12:57 PM

If I can sneak slightly south of Baja I can respond to that one.

We often visit a school in Puebla, two hours south of Mexico City.
The bus picks you up right in the airport terminal, drops you off downtown Puebla next to the good hotels in two hours.

The big buses are new, smooth riding, ultra comfy, lots of leg room, spiffy attendant handing out free cool drinks (sorry, no cervezas) and snacks. And not too pricey, I think the last time it was around $15 each, but not quite sure on that.

One real detraction was the movie, it was one of those incredibly dreadful JLo flicks and it was in English, with sub-titles, could have easily done without that.

I used to rent cars and do the "muy mach" thing over the mountain, now I would not consider going any other way than by the bus.

As to the LABay trip- the drunken bozo newbie we took on our last trip made me seriously consider doing just that- hitching up to the junction and busing it into TJ. Still thinking it would have been a good idea.

The main downside to one of these would be the length and frequency of the lunch/meal stops, etc. When I get on the road I get real antsy to keep on keepin' on.

And yes David, a lengthy Baja bus trip would likely be full of interesting stuff for a Nomad post.

Alm - 4-29-2012 at 02:05 PM

Oh, bajarunner, there are no attendants with cold drinks on ABC Mex1 route. The bus makes numerous stops instead. As a result, its average speed is about 55 km/hour (35 miles/hour), even though it's speeding up to 80 km/hour on some stretches. Overall, this is less tiresome than driving 300 or 400 miles.

There is at least one long meal stop per every 10 hours - a supper stop for an evening bus, a breakfast stop for early morning bus, and a lunch stop if it leaves from major terminal late in the morning. Drivers need to eat. So when he announces "20 minutos" and you see drivers going in cafeteria and settling up at the table, you can be sure that it will be at least 40 minutes. Other stops can be 10-15 minutes, just enough to go to toilet or buy a bottle of water or have a cigarette. Toilet is not a problem - there is a toilet on the bus anyway. Some stops are a few minutes, like dropping somebody off in the middle of nowhere with no real station.

There are usually 2 drivers, one is driving and another one is sleeping in a bunk next to luggage compartment below floor, so they can relieve each other on a long ride.

Catching a ride to BOLA junction and bussing from there will work if the bus stops, but what if it won't? Going "out" I would rather go to Punta Prieta and booked a ticket from there and boarded the bus there. If you are in a hurry, they will let you in without any reservation if you don't have much luggage - the cashier will sell you ticket without a seat number. Then you will have to stand a few hours or sit on your jacket until some seat becomes available.